Today, on this mid-Market episode of the Chaise Lounge, Bay Area-based, Barcelona-born designer Isolina Mallon is here. Mallon is a crusader for modern and contemporary aesthetic in all her projects and tries to include it in all the work she does for Silicon Valley types.
Matt Bliss started Modern Christmas Trees after remembering how much he loved the trees his grandfather, Bud, had designed and put up when he was a kid. So, in 2010, he made two trees based on his grandfather’s original designs. After some great feedback, he decided that he had a wonderful concept for a business.
The trees come in a few sizes, and this year they are launching a half version that can easily be hung on the wall from a simple picture hook. The trees hang from the ceiling like a mobile and collapse flat, so they are super easy to store. Totally customized trees are not the focus, although Matt has worked on a few special trees for clients. These Christmas trees are great for anyone with a modern style and looking for something unique. They fit really well in lobbies and waiting rooms.
Today in the lounge Nick sits down with Miami designer Renata Pfuner. Renata is a luxury residential interior designer who works on both local and international projects. Today Nick and Renata chat about how she got her start, the importance of lighting and how she gained her clients.
Born and raised in Europe, Renata brings a sophisticated, cosmopolitan aesthetic to her work. She relocated to the U.S. in 2001, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami International University in 2006. She had always known that she wanted to be in a design profession, coming from a family of prominent designers, both fashion and otherwise she felt a strong connection to the field. After graduating, rather than going to work for an established firm, Renata opened Pfuner Design. In 2013, she received a Design Excellence award from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and is LEED-certified to serve clients committed to sustainability.
Renata believes that lighting is one of THE most important parts of a project. She compares lighting to being the jewelry of the house something that can add that special touch to a home. According to Renata, lighting can either upgrade or downgrade an interior, and in order to create the best design for her clients she looks for the best lighting. She finds lighting for her clients from all over the world, each one selected specifically to bring out the best in each space. Choosing the wrong lighting could turn a fun and welcoming atmosphere into something boring and uninviting one.
Renata has gained most of her clients through either recommendations or from publications. She states that the split between the two is about 50/50. While the majority of her work comes from those two sources, she also gains clients through internet marketing and sponsorship.Renata does not spend much money on advertisement outside of maintaining her website and instead prefers to let her work speak for itself and through that gain clients. She believes that the “best [marketing] investment, is to do a great job.”
Pfuner is a small luxury interior design firm comprised of two employees. Renata prefers a small team that for the firm and use independent contractors or freelancers from project to project. Rather than working with an architect or project manager from the beginning of each project Renata, creates her design, including architectural features, then after it is complete she has it looked over for viability. This unique approach to design allows her to work with a large amount of creative freedom.
Learn more about Renata Pfuner at pfunerdesign.com.
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